Letter 11076: Since the departure of our congregation, which is with you, we have been in a state of great suspense from having heard nothing of the success of your journey. But when Almighty God shall have brought you to our most reverend brother the bishop Augustine, tell him that I have long been considering with myself about the case of the Angli; to wit,...

Gregory to Mellitus, abbot, in France. Since the departure of our delegation that is with you, I have been in great suspense from hearing nothing about the progress of your journey. But when Almighty God brings you to our most reverend brother Bishop Augustine, tell him what I have long been considering about the case of the English. The pagan temples in that nation should not be destroyed. The idols inside them should be destroyed, but not the buildings themselves. Let holy water be prepared and sprinkled in these temples. Let altars be built and relics placed in them. For if these temples are solidly constructed, they should be converted from the worship of idols to the service of the true God. When the people see that their temples are not torn down, they may set aside their error from their hearts and, knowing and worshiping the true God, may come with greater familiarity to the places they have been accustomed to. And since the English are accustomed to slaughtering many cattle in sacrifice to demons, some form of this celebration should be preserved in a changed form. On the day of dedication, or on the feast days of the holy martyrs whose relics are placed there, let them build shelters of branches around these churches that have been converted from temples, and celebrate the occasion with religious feasting. Let them no longer sacrifice animals to the devil, but slaughter them to the praise of God for their own eating, and give thanks to the Giver of all things for their abundance -- so that, while some outward joys are preserved for them, they may more easily be led to inward joys. For it is certainly impossible to cut away everything at once from stubborn hearts. Anyone who tries to climb to the highest point must rise by steps, not by leaps. Thus the Lord revealed Himself to the people of Israel in Egypt, but He allowed them to continue offering sacrifices -- redirecting to Himself what they had formerly offered to idols, so that they would give up one thing while retaining another. Though the sacrifices were the same outwardly, the fact of offering them to God rather than to idols made them entirely different. This is what I want you to communicate to our brother, so that he may consider how best to handle each case in the place where he is.

Book XI, Letter 76 To Mellitus, Abbot. Gregory to Mellitus, Abbot in France . Since the departure of our congregation, which is with you, we have been in a state of great suspense from having heard nothing of the success of your journey. But when Almighty God shall have brought you to our most reverend brother the bishop Augustine, tell him that I have long been considering with myself about the case of the Angli; to wit, that the temples of idols in that nation should not be destroyed, but that the idols themselves that are in them should be. Let blessed water be prepared, and sprinkled in these temples, and altars constructed, and relics deposited, since, if these same temples are well built, it is needful that they should be transferred from the worship of idols to the service of the true God; that, when the people themselves see that these temples are not destroyed, they may put away error from their heart, and, knowing and adoring the true God, may have recourse with the more familiarity to the places they have been accustomed to. And, since they are wont to kill many oxen in sacrifice to demons, they should have also some solemnity of this kind in a changed form, so that on the day of dedication, or on the anniversaries of the holy martyrs whose relics are deposited there, they may make for themselves tents of the branches of trees around these temples that have been changed into churches, and celebrate the solemnity with religious feasts. Nor let them any longer sacrifice animals to the devil, but slay animals to the praise of God for their own eating, and return thanks to the Giver of all for their fullness, so that, while some joys are reserved to them outwardly, they may be able the more easily to incline their minds to inward joys. For it is undoubtedly impossible to cut away everything at once from hard hearts, since one who strives to ascend to the highest place must needs rise by steps or paces, and not by leaps. Thus to the people of Israel in Egypt the Lord did indeed make Himself known; but still He reserved to them in His own worship the use of the sacrifices which they were accustomed to offer to the devil, enjoining them to immolate animals in sacrifice to Himself; to the end that, their hearts being changed, they should omit some things in the sacrifice and retain others, so that, though the animals were the same as what they had been accustomed to offer, nevertheless, as they immolated them to God and not to idols, they should be no longer the same sacrifices. This then it is necessary for your Love to say to our aforesaid brother, that he, being now in that country, may consider well how he should arrange all things. God keep you safe, most beloved son. Given this 15th day of the Kalends of July, the 19th year of the empire of our most pious lord Mauricius Tiberius Augustus, the 18th year after the consulship of the same our lord, Indiction 4. About this page Source. Translated by James Barmby. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 13. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1898.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/360211076.htm>. Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.